A passing lane, fast lane or overtaking lane is the lane on a multi-lane highway or roadway closest to the left side of the road. In modern traffic planning, passing lanes on freeways are usually designed for through/express traffic, while the remaining lanes are for slower traffic. A passing lane is commonly referred to as a “fast lane” because it is often used for extended periods of time for through traffic or fast traffic. In theory, a passing lane should be used only for passing, thus allowing, even on a road with only two lanes in each direction, motorists to travel at their own pace. Common practice on United States highways is that the left lane is reserved for passing and faster moving traffic, and that traffic using the left lane must yield to traffic wishing to overtake. Evidence exists demonstrating the efficiency of this practice. The United States Uniform Vehicle Code states: Upon all roadways any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic. It is also illegal in many states in the U.S. to fail to yield to faster moving traffic that is attempting to overtake in the fast lane.
A common problem arising from misuse of the left lane is speeding and tailgating. These actions create road rage and increase overall danger. A driver hoping to pass a slow motorist in the “fast lane” can be stuck in an awkward situation. One strategy, which is dangerous and illegal, is to drive very close to the “fast lane” driver's bumper (this is known as tailgating). The National Safety Council estimates 38,300 people were killed and 4.4 million injured on U.S. roads in 2015, which saw the largest one-year percentage increase in deaths in half a century, resulting in an average of 105 deaths and 12,055 injuries per day. Many accidents are caused by slow drivers in the left lane. These slow drivers annoy other impatient drivers who are driving faster, causing them to move in and out of traffic, which results in accidents.
It should also be noted that when a slow vehicle stays in the left or fast lane and blocks faster vehicles, the driving violation may be almost invisible to the casual observer. This is because traffic keeps flowing and the infraction effectively disappears to the casual observer. Thus, the problem caused by slow drivers in the fast lane can be difficult to identify and ascertain.
Various approaches exist for monitoring vehicles in lanes on highways and roads. Two well-known approaches employ a sensor to measure vehicle speeds in multiple lane highways from a fixed overhead structure. Another known approach also employs a sensor used from a fixed physical position to monitor vehicles in their respective lanes. But none of the above cited approaches detect and solve the problem of slow drivers blocking the path of faster drivers in the left lane of roads and highways.
Therefore, a need exists for improvements over the prior art, and more particularly for more efficient methods and systems for improving the driving behavior of drivers on the public highways, namely, slow drivers in the fast lane.